Understanding how to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine boosters

A vial of Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccination sits on a table at a vaccination booster shot clinic on October 01, 2021 in San Rafael, California.
A vial of Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccination sits on a table at a vaccination booster shot clinic on October 01, 2021 in San Rafael, California. Photo credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Another key COVID-19 vaccine booster shot decision is expected as soon as Wednesday.

"The FDA is expected to approve booster shots for all three of the vaccines, for Johnson & Johnson, for Moderna, and for Pfizer," KCBS Radio's Matt Bigler told "Bay Current" on Wednesday. "Which I believe will be a slightly smaller dose that gives your body an extra boost of immunity toward COVID-19."

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Reports indicate that the agency will approve mixing different brands of vaccines, Bigger added.

"The FDA is expected to say that you can go ahead and mix and match, it will boost your immune system no matter what you started with if you have another shot of any of the vaccines that are medically acceptable," he explained.

Data on how the different vaccine combinations impact antibody counts will help inform the FDA's recommendations to the public.

For example, a recent study found that recipients of Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine who then received a Moderna booster saw their antibody levels rise 76-fold, while recipients who received both the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and booster only saw their antibody levels rise four-fold.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images